The present invention relates generally to welding machines and, more particularly, to a welding machine having a mid-plane baffle for improved heat dissipation/cooling of the welding machine.
There are a large number of welding processes available for use in the industry. The most common welding processes include gas tungsten arc, oxygen gas welding, and shielded metal arc welding. The gas tungsten arc welding process is sometimes referred to as TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding. TIG welding is commonly performed by a TIG welding machine utilizing an inert gas.
A typical TIG welding machine includes a transformer, stabilizer and various electrical components that convert the input power into power suitable for welding. The transformer, stabilizer and electrical components are usually assembled into an enclosure or housing having a fan to dissipate heat generated by the components and thereby cool the internal housing.
Generally, the housing is defined by a front and back panel, two side panels, a base plate, and a top cover. The panels, base plate, and top cover collectively define a cavity or volume wherein the internal components of the welding machine are mounted. Typically, the fan is mounted to an external panel to dissipate heat generated throughout the housing. While the single cavity housing with an external panel mounted fan has adequately dissipated heat generated by the internal welding machine components, improved cooling efficiency is difficult to achieve without an increased size of the fan thereby increasing the overall manufacturing costs of the welding machine.
It would therefore be desirable to design a welding apparatus that decreases the critical volume within the welding apparatus housing and allows for alternate placement of a fan assembly to improve heat dissipation within the housing.
The present invention solves the aforementioned problems by providing a mid-plane baffle or plate having a fan mounted thereto to dissipate heat within a welding machine. By centrally positioning a baffle and mounting a circulating fan thereto, cooling efficiency is improved thereby enabling more direct cooling of the internal components of the welding machine. The baffle also reduces the critical volume of the welding machine and allows the fan to operate more efficiently and pull an increased amount of cooler ambient air through the machine which creates a greater cooling effect during the cooling cycle of the machine. The baffle placement also improves welding start performance by operating as a barrier between the high frequency/high voltage components and the PC board (control electronics) of the welding machine. The baffle also improves flexibility of component placement within the welding machine.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a welding apparatus includes a housing defined by a first and a second panel, a base plate, and a top cover plate. The welding apparatus further includes a baffle extending from the first panel to the second panel wherein the baffle is disposed to define a top compartment and a bottom compartment within the housing.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a welding machine includes a front panel and a back panel. The welding machine further includes a base plate and top plate connecting the front panel and the back panel to form a housing. A cross plate parallel to the base plate and the top plate is provided such that the cross plate defines a first volume and a second volume within the housing. The fan assembly is supported by the cross plate to circulate air in the first and the second volumes.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a welding machine with improved cooling efficiency is provided. The method includes the steps of connecting a first panel and a second panel to opposite ends of a base plate. The method also includes connecting a baffle plate having an opening parallel to the base plate such that the baffle plate generally bisects a height of each panel to form a first volume and a second volume. A fan is then positioned in the baffle plate opening wherein the fan is configured to circulate air in the first and the second volumes. A cover plate is then connected between the first panel and the second panel to enclose the internal components of the welding machine.
In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, a cooling assembly kit for retrofitting a welding apparatus is provided. The cooling assembly kit includes a baffle plate having a bore configured to generally bisect an internal volume of the welding apparatus to form a first volume and a second volume. The cooling assembly kit further includes a fan assembly attached to the baffle plate through the bore to circulate air in the first and the second volumes.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description and the drawings.